On the day that the whales came to rot, the seaside town of Prince-au-Mer, which existed in a perpetually indecisive state, found itself teetering on the precipice of complete disorder. Dr. Rutherford and his handsome assistant, who was not a …
Fiction
throat fish
When the bell rings for outdoor rec time, I sprint to the dirt patch beside the basketball court where I find Twelve at work. She squats real low and stacks miniature bricks to make miniature walls, a big magnifying glass …
Inheritance
My daddy’s god given name was Jean-Michel, but everybody called him Chips. Even me. I’d begged to go on the boat ever since I could throw a stick. Mama didn’t allow water play of any kind on account of her …
Complications
When Calvin dreams, it’s rarely about his husband. But on the rare occasion he does, he makes sure to tell Gil every detail. The champagne sea of disco lights. The tinny siren song of the Beach Boys’ “Kokomo” beneath the …
A Flicker on the Grid
She had answered the question of money. A minor inheritance, two and a half jobs, a year of tolerating no fewer than six roommates, financial austerity to the point of self-flagellation. She sought (and found) …
Love Was This Alone
Paul knew his new girlfriend Lydia was better than his ex-girlfriend Lydia. She was kinder. She was more considerate. She was also prettier once she got all done up. She liked what Paul liked—at least more so than Lydia had—trendy …
The Albatross Riddle
There’s a riddle I know about an albatross. Maybe you know it already. It goes like this:
Two men walk into a restaurant where the special of the day is albatross. One man eats …
$9000
Dawn was coming through the windows, too quickly, always too quickly, moving much faster than my mind and body ever could. My wife Sharon, beautiful in middle age (and beautiful always!), was sound asleep next to me, her ear pressed …
Go On Then
Boy, brush your teeth. Two minutes, two times. Floss is cheap here, and we’re going to use it. Boy, bury the soup bones deep, deeper than the scavengers can dig or smell. Six feet deep. Boy, don’t forget how much …
Full of Grace
If only the sun can take its sizzling eyes off Ujuamara and go bother someone else. Vehicles and motorcycles, wheelbarrow pushers and trekkers parade the street, raising dust, selling this, selling that, laughing (how dare they?). But in Ujuamara’s world, …
